At first, my life was not primarily devoted to dogs. What I loved most was music, which I studied for many years. In the end, however, I did not pursue it in the way I had imagined, and it no longer felt fulfilling to me.

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For quite some time now, what drives me forward each day has been helping others. And the fact that this help would eventually be directed toward dogs was decided the moment we adopted a dog from a Czech public shelter. He was traumatized, and he opened my eyes. Thanks to him, I became less focused on material things and more aware of what truly matters — the things hidden deep within the human soul. Our disabled mixed-breed companion spent nine years with us, and the emptiness he left behind felt impossible to heal for many years.

 

But after almost four years, we found a letter from a dog from Bosnia under our Christmas tree, and one month later our loyal companion arrived to join our family. He has enriched our lives in unimaginable ways. We adapt all of our time together to his needs, but it never feels limiting — quite the opposite. We cherish every single moment with him. The only downside is that the years with him seem to pass far too quickly.

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And finally, I was able to overcome the grief for my late dog and allow another little soul to enter the depths of my heart. A strong bond grew between us. When I finally allowed myself once again to witness the many heartbreaking stories of helpless dogs, and stopped avoiding information about their suffering, it became clearer to me than ever before that if I wanted to fall asleep with at least some peace of mind and be able to look myself in the mirror each morning, I had to stop hiding and begin actively helping voiceless animals in any way I could.